Lucky Hearts
by AnimalloversInc
Summary: My first Undertaker fan fiction! Mark is just getting over his divorce to Sara and after a night out with some of the guys, he meets his match. Please read and review, hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Lucky Hearts

By AnimalloversInc.

_Author's note: I do not own any of the WWE people; Vince does (Lucky guy!), but I do own the original characters. I created those. This is my first fan fic featuring Mark Calaway. Hope you all enjoy it and as always feel free to review it, I enjoy hearing the feedback! _

The music blared in the club; the rhythm was pulsing and everyone inside was dancing. Mark hated these types of places; give him a hole-in-the-wall bar and he was a happy man. He couldn't believe he had allowed Glen and some of the other guys talk him into coming here, but here he was. The group of them grabbed a table in the corner and gave their drink orders to the attractive, thin brunette who was now practically throwing herself at Randy. He hated women like that, he preferred a woman that he had to work for. He actually enjoyed the chase, it made the relationship that followed mean more when things worked out; not that it had worked out for him in the past. He had recently gone through his second divorce and Sara had gone for the jugular. That's why the guys had dragged him here, they thought he needed to go out and have some fun. He thought he needed to be in the hotel room, drinking his Jack Daniels or out on his motorcycle just riding around. He looked around the club, taking in the people on the dance floor, the people at the bar and as his eyes scanned the room, he spotted the woman in the booth above the crowd. She was something else! This woman had curves in all the right places and they were highlighted nicely by the black leather pants and red leather bustier she was wearing. She left him speechless; this evening was starting to look up. He could only hope that her personality would be as magnetic as her looks. He half-heartedly joined in conversations at the table and at one point even danced with a young woman who had approached him, all the while; keeping his eye on the woman in the booth. He saw an opportunity when she left the booth and made her way to the bar. He excused himself from his friends and politely pushed his way to the bar, trying to get at close to where she was standing as he could.

"Hey princess, how's the night going down here?" Kat asked the blond, thin guy working behind the bar. The man rested his elbows on the bar in front of her and paused with a smile on his face.

"Its queen, baby…queen. That's the correct term you're looking for. Things are good tonight, good crowd, but I guess we've got you to thank for that huh!" Thomas smiled looking up at Kat.

"Baby…you aren't nearly old enough to be called queen! So you're a princess in my book. As for the crowd, I play it and they come. It's a gift, or a curse...I haven't figured it out yet." She was just about to say something else when some loud mouth guy started a fight with someone else and they both slammed into her. She shot Thomas a look that screamed _I'm going to kick this guy's ass_! She scanned the room for the bouncers and as usual, one of them was too far away, one was hitting on some random girl, and the third was just not paying any attention at all. _Great! Fucking great! These guys are clowns, just wait until I talk to Dominic about this!_ Kat fumed as the fight raged next to her. _Well, only one thing to do…take care of this myself! I definitely don't get paid enough for this shit!_ The loudmouth who had started the fight was about to swing at the other guy, but Kat caught his arm mid-swing. "You're outta here buddy!" She started hauling him toward the door. She almost had him past the bar, when he elbowed her in the abdomen. "Son of a Bitch!" Kat swore, but popped back up looking to grab the guy again. As she straightened, he swung his fist at her, she ducked again just in time.

Mark saw what was happening now and was pissed. You just didn't hit a woman. Hell, you should never even attempt it as far as he was concerned. He stomped his way toward the two, determined to help the beautiful woman out. "Hey asshole! Don't even lift your fist again, or I'm going to break that arm!" He growled.

Kat looked over to the large guy headed her way shouting at the guy she was trying to bounce. _Great! Just what I need, another person getting involved._ She didn't have the ability to watch out for this guy and at the same time bounce the loudmouth from the club. "Thanks, but I got this. Just stay out of my way." She looked at the guy, who looked like a biker. Tattoos covered his massive arms and Kat had no problem picturing him on the back of a Harley. She almost didn't dodge the next punch, but she did, unfortunately, he ended up punching the biker guy in the face. Kat's mouth dropped open as she watched the punch in slow motion. She could tell things were about to get real bad, real fast. She took the opportunity to grab the guy and drag him quickly out of the club, telling the door guys not to let him back in. As Kat walked back inside she spotted the guy surrounded by a group of other guys…obviously his friends and he did not look happy. She felt bad and walked up with every intention of asking if he was alright, but as sometimes happened with Kat, it was not the way it came out. "What the hell were you thinking? Did I not tell you I had it under control and just to stay out of my way?" Kat got pissed off; after all he wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place if he had just stayed out of the way.

Mark couldn't believe that guy had just punched him, he was getting ready to hit back when the woman dragged him out of the club. He was totally dissatisfied, but the guy was lucky; very lucky! The guys all gathered around after seeing what had gone down, some suggesting they go outside and find the punk. Mark shrugged them off and told them he was fine. He was feeling even better when the woman started walking up to him, until she opened her mouth. She started screaming at him, which not only shocked the guys, but shocked him. He really felt the anger boiling up in him, and yet she had spunk and attitude. Instead of giving it right back to her, he just laughed. It was a loud, rolling, rumbling laugh. "Darlin' you have a set on you, I like that! What's your name?" Mark asked in between chuckles.

Kat was taken aback for a moment. He was laughing. It should piss her off, but it intrigued her, she was a bit annoyed with the whole "Darlin'" thing. "My name is Kat…and you better believe I have a set. I'd love to chat some more, but I just spent fifteen minutes doing someone else's job and not my own. Thomas…can I get my usual, up in the booth? Thanks baby!" Kat smiled briefly at Mark and walked off back to her booth.

Mark walked to the bar and got Thomas' attention, "I've got a $50 tip for you if you'll tell me where I can send Kat flowers." Thomas smiled at him and scribbled something down.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: A big thanks for the two great reviews I have received so far, they encourage me to keep at it. Again, I don't own anyone from the WWE (Darn it! If I did I'd have a load of money and I'd have more time to write, lol), so since I don't…please don't sue me! Anyways, on with Chapter 2!_

"Dominic, these bouncers are killing me! Seriously, they might actually be the cause of my death one of these days! None of them were around last night when the fight broke out, what is the point of paying these jackasses, if they aren't going to be around to do their jobs? Luckily, I was right there or we really could have had an issue, as it was, one of our patrons got punched in the face; granted, if he had stayed out of it like I told him to it wouldn't have happened, but that's not the point. I loved bouncing when that's what you were paying me to do, don't get me wrong, but now I shouldn't have to keep jumping in so that the place doesn't get trashed." Kat gave the older man an exhausted look as she decompressed. Dominic listened patiently and smiled at her. "I know. I will have a talk with them before we open tonight, I promise. Two of them are new…maybe it's a training issue, just be patient for a bit longer. We can't afford to fire them right now and have to go out and hire new bouncers." He patted her lightly on the shoulder. "What would I do without you, Kat? I just don't know the answer to that." Dominic gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before returning to his desk. "You should take tonight off, you look tired."

Kat glared at him sarcastically, "Why, so you can get DJ Kill joy in here? Please, we don't need to be chasing people away. He has that talent and that's the only talent he has." Kat smiled, she could not stand the guy they hired to fill in as the DJ when she was gone. His idea of good music was pop from the 80's; no one went to a nightclub to listen to that stuff anymore. Kat played the biggest hits, having made friends with many artists; she sometimes even got to debut new music. It's what made her so good at her job. She put her feet up on the other desk in Dominic's office, Dominic owned Club Emerald, he had opened it 15 years ago and it was still going strong.

Kat had met Dominic O'Brien when she was 13; he found her one evening hiding in the alley behind the club, looking through the window at the people enjoying themselves. Kat used to hide in the alley to escape her drunk, abusive adopted father. She enjoyed hearing the music and watching the people dancing inside. When Dominic found her she had been afraid that he would call her adopted parents, but he never did. In fact, as weeks and months passed, he allowed her to come into the kitchen of the club and help the dishwashers or just enjoy a snack. One night, Kat didn't show up in the alley behind the club and it concerned Dominic. He had figured out that there must be some kind of abuse happening, although she refused to talk about it. The next morning it was on the news, a local cop had shot his wife and then himself, the only survivor was their adopted daughter, who had been attacked, but managed to escape and run for help. The news report said that the girl had been taken by child protective services. Dominic could not stand the thought of Kat being in foster care so he went and petitioned to become her legal guardian. Kat had been with Dominic since, working her way through the various jobs in the club. Everything from waitressing to bartending and bouncing; finally she became the club's DJ and was one of the main reasons the club was able to remain in business. She packed the customers into the club every night she worked and when she wasn't the difference was noticeable.

Kat and Dominic continued their conversation, teasing each other back and forth about various things; Thomas the bartender and one of Kat's closest friends stopped in the doorway and smiled. Kat and Thomas had become fast friends when he started working there. Thomas who made no attempt to hide the fact he was gay enjoyed calling himself her boyfriend. Other than Dominic, Thomas was the only one who knew about her horrific childhood. He was her closest friend and he always looked out for her, he also happened to be her favorite dance partner. "Hey gorgeous, I found something that belongs to you!" Thomas grinned at Kat.

"Oh yeah? What's that, stealing my lingerie again?" Kat smirked at him, but it soon faded when he brought the large bouquet of roses from behind his back. "You brought me flowers…is it our anniversary?" Kat chuckled.

"They aren't from me you naughty vixen! Here, look for yourself…there's a card." He set the roses on the desk next to her and waited. Dominic also took a keen interest in the flowers. "Well, don't keep us men waiting…who is sending you roses?" He grinned, knowing who had sent them, since he had provided the address to send them to. Kat pushed her legs off the desk and reached for the card, she paused for a moment before opening it, knowing it would drive Thomas nuts. Sliding her finger along the small card she pulled it out of the envelope. _For Kat, the beautiful woman with the big set Thanks for an interesting evening! Hope to get a chance to spend another one getting to know you better. Mark Calaway_. She thought for a moment and realized it was the biker guy who had taken the punch. She read the card to Thomas who immediately started howling with laughter. "How is it I can't get a boyfriend to send me roses, but you can manage to get a guy who took a punch in the face meant for you to send them to you? I just don't understand." Thomas laughed.

Kat sat looking at the vase of roses, they were beautiful and unexpected. She actually really felt bad that she had screamed at him now, but maybe that was his hope. She flipped the card over hoping to find some way of getting in touch with him, but there was nothing. Kat felt she at least needed to thank him for the flowers, she thought for a second. Kat grabbed the phone and called the florist who had arranged the roses. "Uh yes, hello...my name is Katherine, I'm Mark Calaway's assistant; yes I'm sure they were beautiful, he'll be very happy. I needed to call you and find out what contact information he gave you. Yes…you are so right, he'd forget his own name sometimes if I wasn't around to remind him. No…that address is correct…Yes…got the number and he was correct in saying that was his cell number. Well thank you so much for your help, Cindy, I appreciate it. Yes…it is nice for once that he remembered everything correctly. Oh I'm sure she'll adore them, thank you again for your help. Goodbye." Kat hung up the phone and looked at the two stunned men. "That was simple and look…I have his cell phone number!" Kat grinned and considered what to do next.


	3. Chapter 3

Mark was hanging out in his hotel room; he couldn't help but wonder if Kat had received the roses. _God I hope she likes them!_ His thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone rang. He rarely gave the number out, so he assumed it was one of the guys, "I told you guys, I don't feel like going out tonight!" He answered gruffly. They sometimes didn't take no for an answer. There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, then a chuckle, definitely a female's voice.

"That's too bad, I was hoping you might be available to take another punch for me; but if you're not going out, I guess I'll just have to find another guy who doesn't listen to simple instructions." Kat laughed again. She smiled when she was greeted with his laughter on the other end. "I got the flowers; they were beautiful, thank you. Oh...and I'm sorry I berated you, I guess you were just trying to help. I did have it under control though." Another round of laughter.

"That apology just about killed you didn't it? As for taking another punch, I'd have to insist on at least dinner before I'd agree to do that again. I'm glad you liked the roses. Hey! How did you get this phone number?" Just realizing that he had not given her or the bartender his cell number, she laughed at him again, and he didn't mind at all.

"I have my ways. I'd ask you how you knew where to send the flowers, but I have a pretty good idea and he'll get a beating later. So it's Mark, right? I'm Kat, but I guess from the card you knew that already, no doubt thanks to the same person. Do you usually send flowers to women you haven't even officially met?" Kat found it surprisingly easy to talk to Mark, not to mention she was having fun teasing him.

Mark lay on his bed holding his cell phone enjoying the back and forth with Kat. It was the first time in months that he remembered having such a big smile on his face and laughing with someone else. "Honestly…no, but there was something in the way you ducked that punch and then yelled at me in front of all my friends. You're a hard one to forget!" Mark chuckled "Where did a pretty lil thing like you learn to fight like that?"

"Wow! Does that accent help you pick up women? Cause I imagine that there's probably some young, dim-witted, blond who would just adore to be called 'pretty lil thing'. Kat laughed while getting ready for work. "Truthfully, I use to be a bouncer at the club, before I started DJ'ing, so that's how I learned to handle myself and since none of our current bouncers could manage to do their jobs, I took it upon myself." Kat let out a frustrated groan.

"I don't normally try to pick up women darlin' but I bet the accent would do it…you're talking to me aren't you? I hate dim-witted blonds and you still haven't said anything yet about my offer?" Mark grinned knowing that during the course of their conversation she had probably not even picked up on the offer he made. He waited as she came back with another sarcastic remark.

"Wait…what offer did you supposedly make me?" Kat asked after processing the comment he had made. She could picture him as he chuckled over the phone. He was enjoying himself and oddly, that made her enjoy it too.

"I asked you to dinner. Well, I actually said that if I was going to take another punch for you, the least you could do is go to dinner with me. So Kat, what do you think? Would you have dinner with me, say tomorrow night?" Mark listened to the silence on the other end of the phone and started kicking himself. _How could I be so stupid? She barely knows you; of course she's going to say no! Well great! Now you've screwed up with another woman._

"Uhhh…well…. I don't know Mark. I don't really go on dates; it's been a really long time. "Kat thought about her last disastrous attempt at dating a guy. He had turned out to be a control freak and it hadn't ended well. Since then, she had stuck to one night stands. Maybe this time would be different, he did send her flowers, and no one had ever done that for her before. "You know what, why the hell not. I'll get tomorrow off and we can go out; I'm game to give it a go."


	4. Chapter 4

The next evening came quickly, and after speaking to Dominic; who was more than willing to give her the night off, Kat found herself trying to decide what she was going to wear. She didn't have an extensive wardrobe; most of her clothes were either casual or her more provocative outfits for when she was working. She searched through every outfit, looking for one that would be somewhere in the middle. She wanted to be dressed up, without being too stuffy or formal. She finally settled on a red blouse with a knee length black skirt with her black heels. She hopped in the shower and finished getting ready. There was very little that ever made Kat feel nervous, but she was starting to feel nervous now while she waited for Mark to pick her up. She tried to calm herself down, telling herself that this was no big deal; but it was a big deal for Kat. Going out on a real date with a man symbolized that she might truly be interested in someone; a scary prospect for her. She was so busy thinking about everything that could possibly happen she jumped when the doorbell to her loft rang. _Okay…take a deep breath and calm down. Everything is fine. Going to enjoy a dinner with someone does not mean that it necessarily mean it will go any further. Unless you want it to go further, and that decision is yours to make. Don't let him see you so nervous._ Kat managed to regain composure of herself and walked to answer the door. Once the door opened, it revealed Mark dressed in a dark suit with his hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, such a different look for him than his biker look. Kat looked at him briefly stunned, "Hello Mark, you look very nice tonight. Definitely not dressed to take any punches tonight, so I guess I'm going to have to do all the heavy lifting tonight." Kat grinned and watched as the grin appeared on Mark's face as well.

"Well that's a relief, cause I have to admit, I'm feeling a little too nervous to do much else but try to string coherent sentences together around you." Mark decided honesty might be the best policy and since he really was nervous about this date, he hoped by admitting it she might go easy on him. "You look amazing! I hope you like Italian food; I booked us a reservation at this great place downtown." Mark couldn't keep his eyes off her, she looked softer than she had at the club and truthfully, both looks were beautiful. He was even more interested in this woman who had the equal tough and soft side. He didn't know what it was, but he hadn't been this interested in anyone since the first time he had met Sara.

"Italian sounds perfect. Are you really nervous? Cause I'm not nervous at all, it's a first date right? Not a big deal." _Liar, Liar!!!_ She smiled. "Shall we go or did you want to have a drink here first?" Kat tried to remember what she might have in the loft to serve if he said he wanted a drink. All she could mentally come up with was the bottle of Jack Daniels Thomas had left there and she thought she might have some Patron lying around.

"Our reservation is for 6:00, so we probably should head there now. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll get invited for that drink after dinner." Mark smiled. He stood back so she could come out into the hallway and waited as she locked up her loft. "After you, please." He let her lead the way out of the building. "I'm the black truck right there." He opened the door for her, closing it behind her and then moved into the driver's side. "I was going to bring my bike, but I wasn't sure how you'd feel about riding with me."

"So you do honestly have a motorcycle? I mean...when I saw you at the club, my first thought was 'biker' but I was just guessing that by the way you had dressed. Is it a Harley?" Kat smiled, she had always liked the thought of dating someone with a motorcycle, if for no other reason than to get to ride on the back of it with them. He was a tall, big guy; she started thinking about what it would be like to wrap her arms around his waist while riding behind him. Her attention snapped back to Mark as he started talking.

Yeah, it's a Harley. I actually have a few bikes back home, but during the beautiful weather, I take the Harley with me on the road so I can ride in my free time." He chuckled. "I am definitely a biker, but that's not all I do." He turned to look at her. "Maybe I'll get a chance to take you out for a ride if you want to." Kat smiled at him and her smile made him feel more at ease. In what seemed to be the shortest drive he had ever made they arrived at the restaurant. Mark gave the valet the keys to his truck and led Kat inside. It was clear the owner knew who he was and gave them the best table they had.


	5. Chapter 5

Mark and Kat each ordered their meals and started getting to know each other. Kat looked Mark over. "So Mark, What do you do for a living? You said you only took your Harley out on the road, so obviously you travel for your job. I don't think I asked earlier." Kat sat quietly, wanting to know more about him. Mark told her that he was a professional wrestler and he almost wore the wine she was sipping when she did a spit take. It totally took her by surprise; she didn't even know that wrestling was still popular. Then she got the mental picture of him in tights and started to chuckle. She could tell right away that he was hurt by her reaction as his smile faded. "Mark, I'm so sorry, I don't mean to laugh. It just surprised me that's all. I mean, look at my job…I play music dressed provocatively and shake my ass so that men can drool over me and buy lots of alcohol. Truthfully, I've never watched wrestling, so I guess I just have a stereotype stuck in my head. Tell me about it. I really want to know." She sat back in her chair and looked at him.

"That's alright; I suppose I should be used to that reaction by now. Most people think what we do is ridiculous and fake, but it's a sport. Granted, it has a written storyline and the outcomes are decided ahead of time, but the things we do to get to that outcome, takes some skill and athleticism. You have to know what you're doing or you could seriously hurt yourself or someone else. I've been doing it for a long time now, and I can honestly say I wouldn't want to do anything else. I love the road, even though it tends to put a real strain on relationships. I love the fans, our fans are the best. Some of them love what we do so much they actually write fiction stories about us or our "personas". Some of them are quite steamy." Mark chuckled while looking at Kat. "By the way…you look great when you shake your ass, but you look even better when you're kicking someone else's." He grinned at her. That grin made Kat laugh.

"Well most guys who hit on me only like the ass shaking, so I guess I've found an upgrade! So the whole getting hit with chairs thing? Doesn't that hurt like hell…or is there like a special foam chair?" She smiled at Mark.

"No, there are no foam chairs and yes, it hurts like hell. You have to know the right spots to hit on your opponent; it makes it a little less painful, but still hurts. Trust me, I've taken a few in my days in the ring; had more than a few other injuries as well. What about you? Bouncing has some occupational hazards." He watched as Kat rolled up one of her sleeves and turned her arm around to show him a side view. A 1.5-2.0 inch scar that was just slightly jagged was there but had faded quite a bit.

"I got this from some drunken guy who came at me with a broken beer bottle; couldn't dodge him fast enough." Kat smirked. "Stitched it up myself, without pain killers, just a few shots of Jack," she looked at the scar. "Not too bad if I do say so myself." She chuckled. "So tell me Mark, was it Thomas that told you where to send the flowers?" She grinned at him again, already knowing it was.

"Now, why would I tell how I got that information? If it was someone who told me, then they would be in trouble for helping me out. I wouldn't want that to happen. On the other hand, you haven't told me how you got my cell phone number." He grinned back. "Now, it seems that we have a stalemate. We undoubtedly are two of a kind. Kat, there is one thing I wanted to know. You said you didn't really date. You're so beautiful; I can't imagine why you aren't dating all the time." He gazed into Kat's eyes; he suddenly found sadness in them.

"It's a long story, one that I don't talk about. I have a hard time with relationships, that's all I can tell you right now. I'm sorry, Mark. I had a lovely evening, and the food was excellent. I think that I should go." Kat stood and left the restaurant; Mark shocked just sat and watched her go. _I'm sorry too; I'm not giving up on you. I can't._ Mark waved the waiter over and asked for the bill.


	6. Chapter 6

Kat immediately went to the club, it was like her safety blanket. She was comfortable there, and after feeling uncomfortable at the subject of why she didn't date, Kat needed the familiarity. He had asked her a fair enough question, she couldn't blame him for wanting to know, but she didn't know him well enough to give him the answer yet. She wasn't sure she would ever know him well enough to answer that question for him. Thomas and Dominic were the only two people besides herself who knew about what had been happening in her home from the age of three until the night she ran to get help. Sometimes, even the fact that they knew bothered her, but they had never made her feel like she was different than anyone else. Kat walked over to the bar and sat down, she listened to the sounds of that hack of a DJ playing his awful music and couldn't believe she had taken the night off. Thomas finished waiting on the people on the other end of the bar and came up to stand in front of her. "Thought you were on a date tonight? What the hell are you doing here?" He looked at her face and knew something had happened. "Okay girl, Spill it! Why aren't you still out with 'Mr. Badass Biker'?"

Kat sighed and looked at Thomas, "He asked about why I didn't date, I couldn't deal with it…and I know what you're going to say 'You shouldn't run away from your problems' but I was starting to have a panic attack, I had to get out of there. I just need a little time to think about things. Can I get a Jaeger bomb?" Thomas reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a Red Bull and poured it into a pint glass, then poured a shot of Jaeger. He slid both of them over to her. She dropped the shot of Jaeger into the Red Bull and chugged it. A guy sitting next to her tried to pick her up. "Not interested buddy, try the other girl on the other side of you." She looked at Thomas again. "What am I going to do, Thomas? He was a decent enough guy; I know he didn't realize what can of worms he was opening up. How do you bring something like that up?" She glanced up at him.

"I don't know sweetie, I just don't know. I guess that is something you'll have to decide on your own, but you can't go on anymore just shutting people out. Do you know what he said to me that convinced me to give him the address to send you the flowers? Well, okay..he offered me some money, but that wasn't the only thing he did to convince me. After he took that punch for you, he came to me and said how amazed he was at how tough you were and that maybe he should have just let you handle it instead of busting in. Now…you know that a normal guy would never have admitted that he should have backed off, right? That said to me that he respected you, or at least your ability to take care of yourself. Jesus, Why can't I find a guy like that?" Thomas smiled at her. "Come on cheer up, I'm sure that he'll show up again, and if he doesn't, well then he wasn't worth anymore of your time anyways!"

As usual, Kat felt a little better after talking to Thomas and decided to head to her loft to think about things by herself for a while. After the short drive from the club to her building, she headed up the elevator to her place. She was shocked when she headed down the hallway only to see Mark sitting on the hallway floor in front of her door. When he saw her, he stood up and held out a Styrofoam container. "I thought maybe you'd like to have your leftovers. I'm sorry if I did or said something to upset you, Kat. If you don't want to talk about it, I can respect that, just understand that I'm the last person to judge anyone else. Whatever it is, has obviously made you the woman you are right now, so I can't see any negative in that. Please just don't shut me out. Give me a chance to earn your trust. I won't disappoint you." He looked at her sincerely and waited for what seemed like years. Finally she opened her mouth.

"Ok, Mark." She said while gazing back at him.


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: I am back at it! Hope everyone enjoys this new chapter. Now that I'm back writing, I'll have more chapters up soon!_**

Kat moved past Mark to get to her door. "Would you like to have that drink? I think I could use one." Kat asked turning to look at him. She walked into her loft, throwing her purse on the table as she headed to the cabinet that housed the Jack Daniels. She didn't ask him a second time if he wanted a drink, just took two glasses from another cabinet and poured. Kat started to drink from her glass as she handed the other to Mark.

"Ahhh...Jack is a personal friend of mine too" Mark took the glass and drank the amber liquid down in one gulp. "I didn't mean to scare you away earlier, it just took me by surprise to hear that a beautiful woman like you didn't really date. If it makes you feel any better, I haven't been on a date since my divorce was final. That was awhile ago. Look, my last relationship ended because I found out she was cheating on me. I don't know what your situation is, but what I do know is that you're the most attractive, and independent woman I've ever met. I just want to get a chance to know you. Hopefully, things will get deeper, but if not, you can tell me get lost." Mark looked at her seriously, hoping that what he just shared would encourage her to open up to him.

As she listened to him tell his story, Kat couldn't imagine why anyone would cheat on him. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy. She hadn't had the opportunity in her life to meet too many of those. Dominic and Thomas were the only exceptions, and it wasn't like she was going to be dating either of them She didn't know if it was just being around him or the Jack, but part of her really just wanted to tell Mark everything. Kat had never verbalized what had gone on in her childhood to anyone but the shrink she had seen and to Dominic. Thomas knew bits and pieces, but she had never told him the truly gruesome parts. "I don't date because I have trust issues with men." She blurted out before she could change her mind.

It took Mark by surprise to hear it come out of her mouth. _Trust issues with men._ He repeated in his own head. He wasn't sure what to think, since that could mean anything. "Well I guess we're both dealing with trust issues concerning the opposite sex. Can I ask what happened? If you aren't comfortable with telling me it's okay." He took a chance and placed his hand on top of hers. He was really surprised when she didn't push it away.

She froze for a moment when she felt his hand resting on hers. She really wanted to run again, but she forced herself to stay and leave his hand there. "I was physically, mentally and sexually abused by my adopted father until I was 13." She watched his face change, she couldn't decide whether it showed more anger than compassion or the other way around. "I haven't told many people that. I'm not a hundred percent sure why I feel like I can tell you. That's all I can tell you right now, maybe if we know each other better, I can tell you more. Just not now." Kat glanced down at the floor, trying very hard not to lose control over her emotions. She was teetering on the edge of crying at the moment. Instead of showing that side of herself, she poured them each another glass of Jack.

_Jesus I thought my story was bad and now I've really made an ass out of myself. I barely know this woman and yet I want to go find that guy and make him hurt as badly as he hurt her. Why is that?_ "I'm sorry. Shit That sounds lame and doesn't mean much to you. I had no idea, if I had I never would have pushed it in the restaurant earlier. You didn't deserve what happened to you, you deserve to be treated so much better." Mark reached over and gently lifted Kat's chin, so she was looking at him. "You don't have to be ashamed about anything around me Kat. All I see when I look at you is a tough and beautiful woman. That being said, I would really like it if you'd join me for supper again, maybe tomorrow night? Can I get a do-over?" He smiled gently at her, but held his breath while he waited for her response.

Kat looked at him for a moment, he looked as nervous as she felt. "Damn! I guess that accent really does get you whatever you want. I should be the one asking you for a do-over, since I ran out on you. Yeah, I think I'd like to go out with you again, Mark. Would you mind if we did breakfast though? I really do have to work tomorrow night." She smiled back at him.

"I can't think of a better way to start out my day darlin'! I'll pick you up around 8 a.m.?" Mark took his shot and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek before standing. "I better let you get some sleep, I can let myself out." He drank the second glass of Jack that she had poured him and headed out the door. "Hey Kat? You are one hell of woman!" He walked out the door, shutting it quietly behind him and headed for this truck.


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews, as promised I am writing away and working on posting chapters to both my active stories! Keep reading and Enjoy_**

8:00 a.m. came quickly, Kat thought as she rushed around trying to dry her hair and get clothes on. Mark would be there any second and it looked like she'd be going out without any make-up on. _Oh well _Kat thought to herself as she put the T-shirt on and pulled her jeans up over her hips. Seconds later her doorbell rang, she looked out the peephole in the door, even though she was certain who it was. Mark looked good in his jeans and T-shirt, she couldn't help but notice that they made quite a pair thanks to their outfits. She unlocked the door and smiled at him as she opened it. "Good morning Looks like you got the memo about what to wear." Kat shot him a glance over her shoulder as she reached for her purse, "So . . . where are we going for breakfast?"

Mark was immediately struck with the smile that greeted him when the door opened. He was also struck by the amazing view of her tight ass swaying as she went to grab the purse off the table. He was only slightly embarrassed when she looked over her shoulder and caught him watching. _Jesus Stop acting like a damn schoolboy Lucky for you she didn't call you on it_ Mark was busy scolding himself when she asked about breakfast, honestly, he hadn't given it much thought. "Not quite sure, was hoping you'd know a place," He replied. Mark liked the way she looked this morning, naturally beautiful, not all made up. Her blond hair was just blown dry and she wasn't wearing any make-up. Her T-shirt and jeans made her look like a woman whom he might have met in any of his favorite bars back home. He couldn't help but smile at her.

Kat laughed, "Your guess is as good as mine on the breakfast front, don't generally eat it. I work until early morning in the club and then come home to crash. Sleeping when breakfast time rolls around, sometimes catch lunch. There's a little coffee shop around the corner, don't know if it's any good, but I'm up to it if you are." When she turned back around, Mark was smiling at her. It unnerved her. "You okay? Can I get you a napkin for the drool?" Kat walked over to him with a grin, passing him a tissue from the purse as she walked past, "You coming?" She chuckled.

Normally, Mark didn't enjoy being laughed at, but there was something about the way Kat teased. It was enjoyable. He couldn't even help but laugh. "You can take this tissue back darlin', and yeah, I'm coming." He followed her down the stairs and onto the street. "What's the hurry? Thought maybe you'd like to walk there with me, not in front of me," Mark was working very hard not to stare as he teased back.

"Thought you enjoyed the view from behind?" Kat was grinning as she turned and walked backwards so she could enjoy watching his response.

"No doubt about that Front-side is quite good to. Don't you think that you should watch where you're walking?" He grinned. Mark took a few long strides and caught up to her. Moving to walk along side her. They walked into the coffee shop and found a table. Mark reached and pulled out a chair for her, except Kat was already settling in the one across the table. "I was attempting to be a gentleman here," He motioned to the chair he was holding. It never occurred to him that it wasn't likely that Kat was used to being treated like that, until he noticed the frown on her face. "Kat, I'm a good guy. I hold doors open, pull out chairs and I treat women with respect. I don't know what else to say to you." Mark sat down in the chair and just looked at her.

Kat sighed and locked eyes with him, "Mark, I'm not trying to give you a hard time and I'm sure you're a good guy. I told you last night. I don't date. One night stands usually don't bother pulling out chairs for me. I guess if we're going to give each other a shot, we're both going to have to get use to each others habits. So I'm sorry, next time I'll keep in mind that you like to do that type of thing." She pushed some stray hairs out of face while looking at the menu. She could feel Mark's eyes still on her and tried her best to ignore it, but after a few minutes she had to look up. Kat didn't feel like talking about that anymore, so she decided to change the subject. "So, do you enjoy wrestling Mark?" She watched as his expression changed, he obviously had accepted that the previous discussion was over.

"It's a tough life, but one that I enjoy. We spend a lot of time out on the road, which has its benefits and its downside. I'm at a point in my career now where I choose to take long periods of time off, mostly so I can recuperate. I don't bounce back from injuries like the younger guys do, so I've slowed down a bit. It's good for me, and the company gets to promote my returns to the ring; earning them big bucks. It helps with my persona also; one of the other guys 'kills me' and I come back from the dead to get my revenge." Mark chuckled.

"Come back from the dead? That's a little soap opera-ish don't you think? Do you have an evil twin to?" She laughed.

"Actually, I did have a twin for a little while; right now I just have a younger brother, who I tried to burn to death in the fire that killed our parents. Did I mention we grew up in a funeral home?" Mark laughed. "I know, it is a bit like a soap opera, but on the upside, I get to kick ass every night. Coming back from the dead and the whole funeral home thing is part of my storyline. My character's name is The Undertaker." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and grinned, "Get it?"

Kat couldn't help but laugh at him. "The Undertaker huh? Well, I suppose I should just be happy you have a job!" They spent the rest of the morning enjoying the food and the conversation. It had been a long time since Kat had such a good time.


End file.
